Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Toilets
»Public toilets are few and far between and often not very clean. Use better facilities in
restaurants or hotels when you have the chance.
»Toilets are labelled
toaletă
or simply 'WC'.
»Men should look for 'B' (
bărbaţi)
. Women's toilets are marked with an 'F' (
femei
).
»The fee for a public toilet is usually 1 or 2 lei, collected by a toilet attendant sitting at the
door. Have coins or small bills ready.
»Some toilets have a plastic bin by their side - this is for used toilet paper.
Tourist Information
»The
Romanian National Tourist Office
(
www.romaniatourism.com
)
maintains a won-
derful website with a trove of useful information. There's a large English-language section
on festivals and events, accommodation and tips on what to see and do all around the
country.
»Romania's national network of tourist offices has made encouraging strides in recent
years. Nearly all big cities (with the notable exception of urban centres in Wallachia like
Craiova, Ploieşti and Piteşti) have decent tourist offices. Tourist information can still be
tough to track down in rural areas.
»If you turn up in a city without a tourist office, you're pretty much on your own. Local
bookstores or newsagents can sometimes sell a local map, but don't expect much help
from local travel agencies. They are far more preoccupied with outbound travel by Ro-
manians than by assisting visiting foreigners.
Travellers with Disabilities
»Romania is not well equipped for people with disabilities, even though there has been
some improvement over recent years.
»Wheelchair ramps are available only at some upmarket hotels and restaurants, and public
transport will be a challenge for anyone with mobility problems.
»One resource is the
Romania Motivation Foundation
( 021-448 0242;
www.motivation.ro
)
, which has worked hard since its foundation in 1995 to provide ac-
